- The Year 6/7 Classroom -

We began the transformation of the year 6/7 classroom space by prototyping the "Studio" space. We were impressed by the increase in lux we acheived by painting the walls white and installing LED lighting. The space also felt cleaner and larger, so we were confident we could achieve the same result in the larger classroom space.

We spent some time collecting Learnometer data as a baseline, which revealed our lighting to be woefully inadequate for much more than conversational learning, an average of about 250 lux. The dirty brown brick walls had been untouched for over 40 years, so improvements were a long time coming.

It took several weeks of painting out of hours to complete the classroom and pit room. We have now strategically placed zones for reading and writing in well lit spaces, close to windows and skylights. The lux in these spaces now averages around 500 lux, thanks to the reflective and uncovered walls and targeted lighting, even in the depths of winter. The pit room space averages over 1000 lux, ideal for learning, and has become a space students love working in.

Our aim now is to connect the freshly painted entrances and undercover bike parking space to The Learning Street. Two entrances feature murals designed and painted by students. We are also propagating plants to be distributed around the school, to create a more comfortable and homely atmosphere. We are currently propagating over 250 plants, including Peace Lily, Aloe Vera, Spider Plants and Mother-In-Law tongue, all listed by NASA as high CO2 absorbing plants ideal for classrooms.

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